Senate unanimously approves Marco Hernandez to be federal judge

WASHINGTON -- Nearly three years after he was first nominated, the Senate unanimously confirmed Washington County Judge Marco Hernandez for the federal bench on Monday, providing a capstone to a journey that included stops as a dishwasher and night school student before an accomplished legal career.

Hernandez was one of three judges confirmed as the Senate returned to work Monday. He is the first federal judge to be nominated by both former President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama.

The former attorney for Oregon Legal Services who represented farm workers, Hernandez was first nominated in 2008 to be a U.S. district court judge by Bush after earning endorsements from then-Republican Sen. Gordon Smith and Democrat

Despite bipartisan support, the Senate failed to act on his nomination as the chamber became paralyzed by partisan warfare. That circumstance stalled action on hundreds of nominations. Wyden urged President Barack Obama to renominate Hernandez and the president did last July.

But that effort failed too as Congress adjourned without action.

Hernandez was nominated a third time last month and his bid was finally successful on Monday.

In addition to Hernandez, the Senate also approved Paul Kinloch Holmes of Arkansas and Diana Saldana of Texas as federal district judges.

Aside from his legal accomplishments, Hernandez has a compelling personal story.

Wyden highlighted it on Monday.

“It is no surprise that Judge Marco Hernandez was nominated for the federal bench, because his life story could serve as a billboard for the American dream,” Wyden said. “At the age of seventeen, Marco Hernandez moved to Oregon – all alone. Needing to support himself, he took a job as a dishwasher, later found a better job as a janitor, and eventually became a teacher’s aide. At that point, Judge Hernandez began taking night classes at a local community college, with the hope of one day attending a four-year college.

“Judge Hernandez is so well-regarded across Oregon and across the political spectrum that he’s been nominated not by one, but by two presidents of different parties, and at the recommendation of two senators of different parties,” Wyden said.

, D-Ore., had a similar view. “His experience as a legal aid, attorney, deputy district attorney, and as a state court judge bring enormous depth and breadth to his responsibilities on the federal bench,” said Merkley, who endorsed Hernandez just as Wyden and Bush had.

The judge, an Arizona native, graduated from the University of Washington School of Law in 1986. He was an attorney for Legal Aid Services of Oregon for three years and a Washington County deputy district attorney for five years before being appointed as a judge.

Hernandez has been a Washington County Circuit Court judge since 1995 and one of just a few Hispanic judges in Oregon courts. After graduating from WOU in 1983 - then called Western Oregon State College - and law school at the University of Washington in 1986, Hernandez worked a few years for Legal Services.